So here's another fast update. What can I say, I'm inspired. I'm hoping for few more reviews. I know last chapter hasn't been posted that long, but leave a little something if you feel inspired and I will keep up the smut! Also, I meant to mention that this story is now rated M. Some people didn't want explicit smut, but I don't think it's terribly, terribly graphic or out-of-nowhere, so if you're offended, prepare yourself, because the rest of the fic is going to feature more smut. You've been warned! If you do like the smut let me know, otherwise I can cut down. Enjoy...

Chapter 11.

"Kate?" Jack called, as he walked in the front door of his apartment later that night. It was only six o'clock—his day at the hospital had been rather short, simply overlooking patient care, a consult, and a stack of busywork.

The apartment seemed empty as he entered, and his voice echoed over the hardwood floors and bare walls as he called out. He peeked into the guest bedroom, looking for Claire, but the bed was made and the room was empty.

He started towards his bedroom, opening the door, mouth open to call Kate's name again, but he quieted when he saw her in his bed, buried beneath a heap of blankets, asleep, her head barely peeking out onto the pillow. He smiled, moving and sitting gingerly on the edge of the bed, his hand settling on her back. She sighed in her sleep and he grinned wider, pushing away a few errant curls that had slipped out of her ponytail.

Kate stirred at his touch, one eye creeping open.

"Jack?" She said softly, voice thick with sleep. Jack chuckled.

"Expecting someone else?"

Kate grinned, dimples peaking out as she sat up further in bed, though still swimming in the comforter.

"I was just having a nap." She explained, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and smiling shyly at him.

He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I guess I wore you out earlier, huh?"

She blushed, reaching for his hand and letting their fingers intertwine on her lap.

"Oh!" She said with a start, releasing his hand. "I almost forgot."

Jack's eyebrow lifted, confused. "Forgot what?"

With a devilish smirk, she whipped the covers to the side, revealing the dark red bra and panty set she was wearing.

Jack's eyes glued themselves to her body, trailing up and down, taking in the subtle lace and the flush of her skin, each freckle standing out and lending innocence to her less-than-innocent attire.

"What's all this?" He asked, pleasantly surprised and sporting a matching grin. He couldn't resist sliding his hand up and down her sides, her skin hot to the touch.

He could tell she was pleased with his reaction, beaming and scooting closer to him, fiddling with his tie. "I told you I had something special in mind."

"What, you just had this lying around?" He asked, mouth drifting closer to hers by its own volition. She pressed a quick kiss to his mouth before retreating, teasing him, and making his fingertips tickle her lightly.

"I went and ran some errands while you were working. And I passed by this boutique and…found this." She supplied, pressing a slow kiss to the underside of his jaw, making his throat bob.

"You had the day off?" He asked softly, though his mind was beginning to drift.

"I got someone to cover my shift. I wanted to surprise you." She whispered into his ear before continuing. "I had a whole plan. Candles…a bubble bath…" She stopped short, pulling away to meet his eyes with a shy smile.

"But, I fell asleep waiting for you." She said, bashful.

Jack laughed, palms sliding up to cup her jaw and press a thorough kiss to her lips, making her wiggle closer to him until she straddled his lap, forcing his hands downward and onto her bare hips before they curved around to cup her bottom.

Just as Kate was pushing Jack flat onto his back, they heard the front door open, and the twin sounds of both Claire's and Marc's voice drift towards the bedroom.

"Guys? You here?" Marc called from the hall, and Jack groaned, helping Kate slide off his lap.

"Perfect timing." Jack whined, grabbing her wrist before she could get to far away from him.

Kate pressed a quick kiss to his lips before moving towards the bathroom in search of a robe. "Tonight?" She asked softly, eyes hopeful. Jack nodded vigorously, placing a playful swat at her backside as she flitted into the bathroom, making her giggle and throw a pout over her shoulder at him.

Jack stood after a moment, collecting himself, running a hand through his hair, before making his way towards the kitchen, where he could hear the refrigerator and cabinets opening and closing.

Marc was rifling through the cabinets and talking animatedly to Claire, who was perched at one of the barstools, smiling wide and nodding along, clearly infatuated. Marc didn't even seem to notice Jack enter until he cleared his throat.

"Oh, dude, you're here. I was just telling Claire about some of the glory days back at Columbia." Marc grinned, and Jack had to roll his eyes, knowing some of the wild stories he must be relaying and wondering how quick it would be before they made it back to Kate.

"I didn't know you had any tattoos, Jack!" Claire laughed; raising an eyebrow and making Jack blush.

It was true, during a few drunken nights he'd managed to get himself inked a couple of times. Kate didn't seem to mind. She'd told him she thought they were sexy and unexpected, right before they had—

"Oh, trust me, Jack isn't as clean-cut as he looks," Marc joked, throwing a glance at his friend, "and I've got the stories to prove it." Marc finally gave up on searching the cupboards for whatever he was looking for.

"Dude, where is all your food?" He asked exasperatedly after a moment, settling on the barstool next to Claire's, sending her a goofy smile.

Jack shuffled. "Right, well, I haven't done any shopping in a while."

Marc shrugged. "So let's go get something to eat." He nudged Claire's shoulder. "How about a double-date?" He asked, trying his best to sound flirty, but Jack could hear the earnestness in his friend's voice and knew that he'd taken a liking to Claire, even if she was considerably younger than he was.

"Sounds good to me." Claire agreed, seeming equally enraptured by Jack's redheaded friend.

"Me too." Kate said as she emerged from the back bedroom, making Jack turn and smile at her attire, adorable as always but especially pretty this evening. She'd let her hair down but kept the loose strands back with a subtle, thin headband and her curls tumbled softly over her blouse—a light, white, lace, summery top that showed off her tan arms, complimented by dark jeans and flip-flops.

Jack enjoyed this about Kate. Her simple beauty. So far removed from what he was used to dating: the made-up drama queens who needed hours to get ready before going out, who cared what everyone else thought except him.

She walked over to Jack and he settled a hand on her waist, kissing her forehead sweetly.

"You look nice." He said softly, just to her, and she smiled, a wide, private but genuine grin before returning her attention to Marc and Claire.

Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her close into his side, beaming down at her.

"I know a good place in North Hollywood." Marc supplied after a moment. They all agreed and made their way out, Kate slipping her hand into Jack's as they all waited for the elevator.

The restaurant was intimate and dimly lit, and Marc's choice in eateries wasn't lost on Jack as he watched his best friend interact with Kate's. They seemed genuinely interested in each other, sitting close on their side of the booth and talking softly to the other.

Kate leaned towards Jack, a hand finding his knee under the table.

"I think they're hitting it off." She said softly into his ear and Jack smiled, whispering back.

"You're quite the matchmaker."

Kate laughed. "Maybe we'll get the apartment to ourselves tonight after all."

Jack shot her a questioning look. "This is their first date."

She rolled her eyes. "If I know Claire, that isn't going to stop her. Not everyone is as innocent as you are, Jack," She joked, making him roll his eyes.

Claire turned to them right at that moment, smiling. "I'm going to use the ladies room. Kate?"

Kate raised her eyebrows, smiling knowingly. "Sure, yeah, me too."

She scooted out of the both, following her friend conspiratorially, glancing back at Jack and winking, making him chuckle.

Marc turned towards his friend, sighing heavily.

"Damn."

Jack chuckled. "You like her?"

Marc leaned back in the booth, stretching his arms above his head. "A lot."

Jack nodded, taking a sip from his beer. "Well, take it easy, she's Kate's best friend."

He nodded vigorously. "Of course, of course."

Marc seemed to be in deep thought for a moment before leaning forward on the table and sending a glance towards the direction the girls had gone in. "Do you think she's a little young?" He asked, but Jack could see the hope in his friends' eyes and knew he wanted his friend to assure him they were well matched.

Jack shrugged. "Nah. I mean, with your maturity level, it probably makes sense that she's a bit younger." He joked, and Marc relaxed, smiling too, settling back into the booth.

"So Kate's pretty great, too," Marc began, eyebrows raising, "You seem really into her."

Jack smiled ruefully, eyes finding the table as he tensed. "I told her I loved her last night."

Marc's eyed widened. "You did what?" He nearly shouted, Jack sending him a harsh look.

"It just sort of…popped out." He argued feebly, meeting Marc's eyes reluctantly.

The redhead seemed a bit flabbergasted and sent a furtive glance towards the bathroom again before returning his eyes to Jack.

"Jumping the gun a little bit, aren't you?"

Jack sighed. "I know. We kind of…had a fight about it. She didn't say it back."

Marc whistled low, amused smile overtaking his features.

"Man, that is rough."

Jack joined his friend's laughter, letting the tension drain from the topic.

"Well, I got upset, and then she got mad at me for getting mad. But," Jack said, leaning forward, "she told me that she didn't want me seeing other people, that she wanted things to keep going, to be with me…"

Marc shrugged. "So, that's exactly want you want, right? To keep dating?"

Jack sighed, leaning back, relaxing and satisfied "Exactly." He took another sip of beer. "I think I just got…carried away. I've never met anyone like her before."

"She's definitely not the girl you usually go for. Not blonde. Not an Ivy Leaguer. Not a princess." Marc joked, and Jack laughed, agreeing.

"I think she's great for you, man." Marc continued, taking a drag of his own beer.

Jack fidgeted, peeling the label from his beer, casting Marc a furtive look.

"Listen, there's something I need to ask you about," Jack began, and just as he opened his mouth to continue, Kate slid into his side of the booth, Claire following.

Marc didn't seem to mind the interruption, smiling broadly.

Kate leaned close to Jack, "I think we have liftoff." She joked, eyebrows wagging in Marc and Claire's direction, which the two seemed oblivious to.

Jack forced a laugh, arm winding around her shoulders but eyes remaining downward, unable to switch gears quick enough. A second ago he was going to ask his best friend to take on an impossible surgery for the mother of the woman he could potentially be madly in love with, but now the moment was gone, and it'd have to wait.

"You okay?" Kate asked, taking a sip of her own drink—a Jack Daniels and Coke—and sensing Jack's distraction.

He forced another smile, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. "Great."

After dinner, Marc invited Claire out to the bar, which—of course—Claire was eager to agree to. Kate rolled her eyes and Jack sent a warning look to Marc, trying to convince him with his eyes not to take things too far on the first date.

Marc didn't seem to notice, or at least he consciously ignored him, before leading Claire towards his own car by the small of her back, leaving Jack and Kate alone.

Kate pulled her jacket around tightly, fighting off the evening chill.

Jack wrapped an arm around her, tugging her into him, "Cold?"

She shook her head, smiling tightly. "Do you think we could go somewhere?"

His eyebrows furrowed, "What'd you have in mind?"

They arrived at the county hospital a half an hour later, Kate biting her fingernails nervously as they made their way up to the long-term care unit, a route that Jack had now become more familiar with now that he'd gone along with Kate a few times to see her mother.

"Want me to come in?" Jack asked once they reached the door to her mother's room.

Kate shook her head, "I'm okay."

Jack waited twenty minutes in the hallway. He was still in his suit from work, but slid down to the floor anyways, resting his back against the wall and wondering how he was going to deal with the issue of Kate's mother.

Kate was convinced that her mother could be saved—that surgery was the answer. But Jack's own medical knowledge required that he see the patient objectively, and from that perspective, he knew the case was hopeless. But trying to convince Kate of this would devastate her, if he could convince her at all—knowing how stubborn she was.

Then there was the issue of Marc. He'd told Kate he'd ask Marc about doing the surgery. And even though she'd fought him on it, he had assured her he would pursue it, knowing full well that he couldn't promise results. And now he'd have to ask his best friend in the world to put his medical reputation aside and take on a case that was impossible to treat.

Not to mention the fact that Jack knew he would feel guilty if he went through with the surgery and Diane didn't make it. Who knew how Kate would react? At least with her mother in a coma, she was in emotional limbo regarding her condition. If she died, Jack didn't even want to think about how hard Kate would take it. She was already a wreck about her parents, and no doubt she'd blame herself, maybe Marc, maybe him for orchestrating the whole thing.

His train of thought was interrupted as Kate emerged, eyes a little red, but she forced a bright smile, reaching her hand out to him to help him stand.

He accepted it, letting his arms smooth down her arms as he stood, trying to comfort her with his touch, and she sighed in turn, leaning into his chest and taking a deep breath as his arms wound around her petite frame.

She let her head rest on his chest, breathing in the scent of his aftershave, his warmth, the detergent lingering on his shirt, the manly smell she could make out as it drifted from his skin and through the fabric.

She looked up at him slowly; her eyes warm and voice soft. "Thank you." She shook her head, eyes shutting as she rested a chin on his chest and mumbled, "I don't deserve you."

Jack laughed, dispelling her claim and rubbing a warm hand up and down her back as he wrapped her up tighter.

"You deserve anything you want."

Kate rubbed her nose against his sternum affectionately, leaning up on her toes and kissing him softly, just letting the tip of her tongue touch his before pulling away and grinning mischievously at him.

"I know what I want." She said decisively, making Jack's heart swell at her implication, before dropping again once he realized his surroundings—the hospital where her mother's life depended on a host of machines.

He let his hands fall away from around her but gripped her hand as he led her out of the hospital, back to the car, and to his apartment.

By the time Jack and Kate made it home it was nearly 10:30 at night, but Claire nor Marc were to be found. Jack grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Think he's getting lucky?" He joked, unscrewing the cap and taking a sip.

Kate snorted, settling on barstool, shrugging off her jacket.

"Knowing Claire," she laughed, "…probably."

He set the water bottle down on the counter and wound around until he stood between Kate's knees, his palms curving around to gently cup her neck, his thumbs brushing soothing circles against the warm skin.

"So are you still wearing what I think you're wearing under these clothes?" He said, smiling impishly and making Kate roll her eyes with an amused grin.

"Maybe." She drawled playfully, hopping off the stool and walking towards the bedroom, sending him a come-hither look over her shoulder.

Jack watched her a moment before darting after her, swooping her up around the waist and carrying her into the bedroom, finally dropping her gently on to the bed, not even allowing her to catch her breath before he draped his body over hers.

She parted her legs and shifted her hips, accommodating his weight as her own hands wound up behind him to grip the back of his head, forcing his lips down to hers, kissing him.

She bit down on his bottom lip, driving him crazy as he pressed his groin into hers, making her breath catch in her chest. Her hands dipped into the back pocket of his slacks and squeezed and he laughed breathily into her mouth. She only bit her lip, pushing her hips upwards and into his and his eyes closed, nostrils flaring.

He sat up, pulling his suit jacket off his shoulders, then moving to kick off his shoes and socks. Kate lay back, watching him, fiddling with the button on her jeans. Jack stood at the foot of the bed, eyes dark, the only sound in the room was their heavy breathing and the shift of his clothes as he began undoing each of the buttons on his dress shirt. He peeled it off, and then whipped his undershirt off, too.

Kate bit down on her lip, finally undoing the button on her jeans as Jack watched, mouth hanging slightly open as he watched her. She wiggled out of her jeans, hips pressing off the bed as she slid the material down her legs, Jack pulling the fabric off her feet and tossing it on to the floor. Jack took a breath, then undid his belt buckle, eyes never leaving Kate's.

He unbuttoned his slacks and let hem drop, stepping out of them and standing there, tight boxer-briefs stretching across his growing erection. Kate's eyes flitted downwards, catching sight of it and licking her lips. In a flash she scrambled onto her knees, moving towards Jack at the end of the bed. He peeled her shirt off and his hands dropped to her breasts, kneading them through her bra, making her brace herself on his shoulders, breathing hard.

She laid a hand flat on his chest and he stilled, her eyes coming up to meet his.

"Take 'em off." She said evenly, and Jack gulped before fingering the elastic of his boxer-briefs and tugging them down. Standing proud before her, he clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides while her eyes slid downwards, making him blush.

"Lie on the bed." She said. After a moment of deliberation, he complied, laying back and watching her move up his legs until she straddled his knees and leaned forward, allowing her hand to come out and take him in her grip, soft and velvety.

He groaned, fists clenching at his sides. "Kate," he groaned, and she only smiled. Pumping him slowly, up and down from base to tip, her thumb swiping a circle around the head, working him into a full erection. His eyes fluttered close as his breath became more labored. She watched his facial expressions change as she changed her pace, speeding up, then slowing down, creating deliberate friction and his breath hitched.

She smiled to herself, taking a mental note, before leaning forward, breath fanning across his tip and his hips gave a soft jolt just before she let her lips wrap around him, making their way down his shaft and his mouth opened in a silent moan while his hand curl into her hair and she moved her head in long purposeful strokes around him.

She released him with a slight pop and he groaned, hips jerking again. She blew a hot breath across the moist tip.

"Oh God…" he whispered under his breath, and she smiled proudly.

She took him in her mouth again, trailing a tongue up the underside, following a thick vein before circling around the top, sucking hard and making him swear.

"Kate, you gotta stop." He said after another long moment, making her pull away and stop, meeting his cloudy eyes with a smirk.

"What's wrong?" She asked innocently, and he could barely huff a laugh, or look at her much longer—her lips swollen and read, the dark scarlet of her underwear making her skin look flush and tan.

"I won't last." He gritted out, her hand still stroking him slowly.

She waited until he met her eyes before leaning forward, closer to where he was gripped in her hand, a drop of him collecting on the head.

"I don't care." She said after a moment, smirking, and taking him in her mouth again, he groaned, head falling back on his pillow heavily as his hips gave a jerk when she took him deeper, his tip grazing the back of her throat. She repeated this multiple times until he couldn't take it anymore. He touched her cheek, signaling her to move, but she only bobbed up and down again and he came, hips coming off the bed as he growled, low and deep. She let him ride it out before releasing him, smiling at his sated expression.

His eyes were closed, both of his hands resting limp at his sides, his chest heaving and the faintest sheen of sweat glistening on his torso. She crawled up his body, snuggling into his side and throwing a leg over his, tucking her chin onto his shoulder.

Once he collected himself, he huffed a loud laugh and turned to her, eyes both milky and bright with contentment.

"Jesus." He said on a sigh, and she only pinked, burrowing deeper into his neck and avoiding his warm eyes.

"What was that for?" He laughed, adjusting so he could slip an arm around her, tugging her closer to his chest.

"Remember when I said thank you earlier?" She mumbled. Jack raised an eyebrow. "Well, now you can just say you're welcome." She teased, a hand smoothing through his chest hair.

He barked a laugh and it made her giggle.

"Well, I'll make it up to. You're gonna have to give me a minute though." He said with a breathless laugh.

"You don't have to," she protested weakly, pulling the comforter that'd been kicked to side onto their cooling bodies. "I just want to fall asleep with you."

Jack turned on his side to face her, hand trailing over her hip. "Tired?" He asked, eyes soft.

"Yeah," she mumbled. She tugged her underwear down and tossed it outside their cocoon and onto the floor. "Could you?" She asked sweetly, motioning to her bra. Jack smiled, slipping his arms around her and unclasping her bra while placing soft, wet kisses along her neck and behind her ear.

"I thought you were tired," he joked, tongue peeking out to the shell of her ear and making her hum in pleasure.

"I just want to feel you," she clarified, letting the fabric fall away as she tucked her knee between his and sidled closer until they were chest to chest.

"You feel good." He said softly, arms winding around her, taking in the scent of her and feeling the rhythmic beat of her heart inside her chest as it pressed against his, joining rhythms as they fell asleep

There you go, more smut as promised. But prepare yourself for some more drama/angst as the next few chapters roll around, but that's not to say that smut will fall by the wayside. Any opinions on Marc/Claire thing? Or any predictions, favorite quotes, moments? Let me know and I'll use more like them! Thanks.